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Thursday, 20 March 2014

Dartmoor hill ponies

Apparently, over two thousand years ago, Phoenician traders
introduced ponies to the West Country. These original ponies evolved
into two distinct breeds, the Exmoor and the Dartmoor.

The ponies
now native to Dartmoor have adapted to suit whichever part of the Moor they
live on. The colours are mainly bay, grey, chestnut and black, with
some coloured ponies and even some spotted ponies.

Just over one hundred years ago, the pony
breeders showed a split into two categories. One group began to concentrate
on selectively breeding for the show ring with strict breed standards. The other group bred more for usefulness and suitability for various kinds of work.

Dartmoor hill pony

The mining industry found the native Dartmoors very useful, and
crossed them with Shetland ponies for working underground. The farming industry
required a sturdy weight-carrying pony, so ponies who were strong and
had good depth of bone were chosen as breeding stock. And when they were needed to be more sporty, for example as polo ponies, they were bred with arabs and thoroughbreds. They have been used as riding ponies and driving ponies.

Dartmoor hill pony

So with all these different bloodlines that have been introduced it means there is a great variety of ponies on the moors today. The common
characteristics hardiness and good
temperament. have remained the same though.

Dartmoor hill pony

Only a pony that has been bred on the commons of Dartmoor, by a registered
Commoner, and whose sire and dam run on the Commons, is a Dartmoor Hill
Pony.

Dartmoor hill pony

These are all photos I took on Dartmoor, showing the variety of different types and colours of Dartmoor hill pony. Please click on the photos to see them larger.